Into the Hall of the Great Seed
by Ereandir
Summary: Spoilers and whatnot. The events that transpire in the cavernous depths beneath the Tower of Salvation, following Kratos rather than Lloyd.
1. A Warning

A/N: Yay chapter one! Tales of Symphonia is Namco's, of course. This isn't finished, but reviews are still very much appreciated. Enjoy!

- - -

Kratos Aurion stood before his window, arms crossed across his chest, gazing at the inky blackness of the sky, pierced by thousands of pinpricks of silver light. Even here, thousands of feet above the ground, the sky calmed him, helped organize his thoughts. Only a few more preparations, and then everything would be ready. He would have the Ring of Pact forged and descend to the surface…for the last time. _Just a little longer, Lloyd,_ he thought grimly. _Once you make the pact with Origin, not even Mithos will have the power to stand against you. _He idly wished he could be there to see his former pupil overthrown at last, but it was pointless to think he would survive the release of Origin's seal.

He sighed, absentmindedly reaching for his most treasured possession – the pendant – before remembering he'd left it for his son in Flanoir. "Don't die, Lloyd," he said to himself. "Don't you dare–"

"Pre-occupied enough not to hear me coming _and_ talking to yourself?" A too-familiar voice chuckled. "Your senses must be failing you in your old age."

In one fluid movement, almost too rapid to follow, the auburn Seraph spun around, Flamberge drawn and pointed instinctively at the throat of…Yuan?

"You! …Give me one good reason why I shouldn't end this right now." It was taking every ounce of self-control the Seraph possessed – and after four thousand years, after enduring so much, self-control was something he had in abundance – to keep his voice steady and the fiery blade from plunging into the unprotected flesh of his former friend.

"One reason?" The half-elf laughed, albeit a bit nervously. He hadn't scene Kratos this worked up since… "I could give you a dozen, but I don't have the time. My presence here will be detected soon enough. Mithos might not kill me, but–"

"But I will, if you don't start talking." The muscles in the swordsman's arm were tensed. The blade didn't even quiver.

The blue-haired Seraph sighed. "Put it away, Kratos. I've come to warn you about your son."

Kratos' eyes hardened. "If _anything_ happened–"

"Relax, old friend, he's fine, if somewhat imbecilic..." Yuan swallowed sharply as the blade inched closer, and hurried on. "I just thought you'd like to know that he and his companions arrived at the Tower of Salvation a short while ago."

"What?" The auburn angel stared incredulously.

Yuan glanced emphatically at the Flamberge, and was silent until Kratos lowered the blade but did not sheathe it. "That's right, Kratos. He got it into his thick head that he could launch an attack on Cruxis," he responded, with a casual toss of his indigo hair. He glanced around the small room his friend had taken up residence in since his return to Welgaia fourteen years ago, which was empty but for a simple chair and paper-and-book-strewn desk. "You never did bother to redecorate…"

"I told him to be patient," Kratos murmured, pacing. "He can't possibly hope – not without the Eternal…" A thought occurred to him. "How did they get in? Yggrdasill's tripled the guards. They couldn't have…"

"Ah," Yuan adjusted his cape carefully. "I, ah, led them to the secret passageway. They should be well on their way to the Hall–"

The half-elf gasped and choked as he suddenly found himself being crushed against the wall, Kratos' sword pressed tightly to his neck. The heat of the thing made him flinch as much as the sting of flesh being torn, if not so much as the fury pouring from the auburn's eyes. Damn, that man was fast…

"Why?" the Seraph growled. "Does he not have to be alive in order for you to blackmail me?"

Not to be defeated so easily, Yuan quickly formed a dense sphere of electricity in his palm and thrust it at the raging swordsman. He dodged the attack, but lost his grip on the half-elf, who slumped against the wall, taking quick, shallow breaths and cupping his throat protectively.

"You…are a fool," he said hoarsely. "The boy… is stubborn… to a fault." He coughed painfully. "And at least several… of his companions are… resourceful. It was… inevitable."

Kratos' angry expression faded, to be replaced with one of devastation. _Lloyd…_ "I…can't…lose–"

"You don't have to," Yuan interrupted, and began coughing again. "The traps… the mazes… there's still… time."

The auburn nodded, devastation erased by steely determination. Sheathing the Flamberge, he buckled on his shield and turned to leave. As the automatic door slid open with a faint click and smooth hiss, he glanced briefly at his former companion. "… Thank you," he muttered, before heading to the teleporter. _Lloyd, I won't fail you again._

_- - -_

A/N: End of chapter one. This won't be too long - three or four chapters max, I think, but we'll see. I'll try to get the second one up either tomorrow or the day after - but no promises. I hope you liked it.


	2. Swordplay

A/N: Here's chapter two - a lot longer than I'd planned, but finished nonetheless. Enjoy!

- - -

The eerie glow of the Tower washed over the Seraph as he materialized a few feet from the dais in a shaft of dazzling light. He scanned the room quickly, eyes falling on the inert body of Tethe'alla's Chosen.

Despite the blood pooling around his body, seeping into his clothes and matting his long, red hair, Zelos looked…peaceful. His eyes were closed as though he was merely asleep, and his lips were curled into a slight smile – not the reckless, rogue-ish grin his face usually bore, but rather a simple expression of contentment and…relief?

Kratos caught sight of a few scattered, sparkling fragments. "So they took pity on you," he murmured. "They forgave a traitor…in the end. They…_he_ set you free."

_Forgave a traitor._ The thought replayed itself in his head as hurried up the dais and onto the incandescent blue platform, which teleported him to the lower levels of the Tower, otherwise known as the Hall of the Great Seed. His brown eyes widened slightly at the sight of the once-pristine architecture of the Hall, now overrun with man-sized roots and monsters, but he pressed on, swift and silent as a shadow, Flamberge glowing dimly in the gloom.

_Forgave a traitor. But could he…?_ No, these were foolish thoughts, something he could afford little more than mistakes.

- - -

Regal Bryant drew ragged breaths as he fended off blow after blow from the angels. The ground, once smooth, was littered with rubble from collapsing the tall columns on either side of the passageway he was defending, and snowy feathers were raining down. Two of their number were dead, leaving nine very capable fighters bent on killing him. After the second had fallen, he had been forced entirely on the defensive, no longer trying to defeat them, merely fighting to stay alive. For Lloyd.

_I must spare you the pain, Lloyd?_ _You really do make things difficult_. Death certainly would be easier than attempting to live though this. Death would reunite him with his beloved Alicia, would ease his guilt and erase his pain, the pain that went even deeper than that of his aching, burning muscles, that of unbearable, unforgivable loss…

He raised a greaved leg to protect his vulnerable midsection from the oncoming swing of a sword. The crash of metal on metal rang, resounding through the cathedral-like chamber, and he stumbled backwards from the shock of the impact. He backed up onto a loose stone, and fell heavily, breath leaving him in a painful gasp. Swords were pointed inches from his face immediately, their lifeless owners awaiting the order from their staff-wielding superior.

_Looks like I might be coming after all, Alicia._ Regal grimaced, still gasping for breath and not finding it. _I'm sorry, Lloyd. I tried…_

"Stand down." The steely command reverberated through the cavernous room.

The angels standing over him remained poised, empty eyes fixed and blades at the ready, but the leader turned to face the newcomer, hidden from Regal's sight.

"You dare defy a direct order from one of the Seraphim?" the intruder spoke again, and Regal caught sight of a flamelike blade being raised. "I order you to stand down immediately."

"Forgive me, Lord Kratos," the angel responded. "But it is the order of Lord Yggdrasill himself that no one enter the Hall…including you, my Lord."

"…I see," Kratos said quietly. "In that case…"

Regal winced at the sickening sound of the red blade parting flesh. The angels guarding him turned to face the Seraph, who was now outnumbered seven to one. As he began to call down lightning, all the while continuing his swordplay, Regal realized it was the angels who were outnumbered. He had seen the man fighting before – alongside and against him – but this was unbelievable.

Taking a deep breath, the convict rose from the rubble and joined the fray – not that Kratos really needed any help. Moving with grace despite his bulk of muscles, Regal began landing deadly blows, occasionally with the crack of bone snapping, while the Seraph continued his deadly dance of fire and light, chopping, slicing, gutting and sizzling. Quicker than he would have thought possible, the last angel fell. The two men stood faced each other over a heap of singed, hacked and broken winged bodies. The room stank of burnt flesh and blood.

"Where are the others?" Kratos asked nonchalantly, as though the carnage around him did not exist.

"Why…?" He could take no chances. Knowing it was useless, he resumed a fighting stance and placed himself between the auburn and the blocked-off passageway.

"There's no time to explain," the Seraph said curtly. "I will kill you if you leave me no choice, but I must protect my–" He cut himself off, but his eyes gleamed coldly, as though daring the convict to comment.

_If it had been you, Alicia…_ Regal relaxed, nodding. "Through there," he gestured to the pile of broken columns. "I blocked it to stop the…Cruxis, from following."

Kratos brushed past him and began hacking at the thick stone with his sword, as though he'd forgotten he could wield spells as well.

"Move," Regal advised, raising his hands and gathering in mana. The Seraph stepped back as he released the incredible force, reducing the column remains blocking the way to dust and gravel.

"So that's how…" Kratos shook his head, glancing up to where row upon row of lifeless beings waited, motionless. "We must hurry, before they're awakened."

Sheathing his blade, he took off down the corridor in long strides. Regal followed closely. They reached the purple warp panel, only to find it laced with deep cracks. Kratos grunted, which Regal took to be the man's version of cursing loudly or smashing something.

"Is there another way?" the convict inquired of the Seraph, who stood very still, fist clenched tightly on the hilt of his sword.

"…Of course there's another way," the auburn muttered. Relaxing his grip, he walked over to the small magi-technology console located opposite the passage and began fiddling with it. After a moment, there was a click, followed by the sound of stone grating against stone. A doorway opened on the left side of the room, revealing a dark passage.

"An emergency exit?"

"Something like that," Kratos responded. "Those stairs will take us down to the next level, at any rate. Come."

He strode into the darkness without hesitation. Regal followed.

_I could not protect you, Alicia, but I _will_ help my friends…_

_- - -_

A/N: So I guess this chapter was good news for Regal fans and bad news for Zelos fans, but either way, I hope you liked it. I don't know when I'll be able to get the next chapter up, but hopefully that will be within the week. As always, please review! Thanks a bunch.


	3. Tremors

A/N: Sorry about the wait! I've been Dracula-obsessing the past week, and couldn't really get into it, but now it's done! Yay! So enjoy...

- - -

The rhythmic tapping of twin footsteps descending flight after flight of steps was slowly becoming hypnotic, with no end in sight. Clouds of dust shot up with every step, since these stairs had been used rarely – if ever – during the millennia since their construction, for obvious reasons. Kratos did not begrudge the menial task of using more conventional methods of transport than warp panels, so much as the loss of time that ensued as a result. The spiral stairway, lit only by smoky orange magi-lights, was cut through solid stone, preventing the Seraph from simply dropping down. Even if he could take such a short cut, his companion certainly could not.

He glanced back thoughtfully, eyeing the man through strands of auburn hair. He was keeping up effortlessly, despite the shackles, despite having just fought against lifeless beings that existed only for combat. Even in the gloom, Kratos could see a faint look of grim determination on the angular face directed at the steps.

He tried to recall what he knew of Regal Bryant. A duke, president of a formidable company in the flourishing world, and most recently, a criminal. Lloyd certainly had strange taste in companions. _Forgave a traitor, forgave a murderer…_

"Did you know about Zelos?" The question came suddenly, with a hint of accusation.

"…Humph."

Regal scoffed. "Lloyd believed in Zelos, until the very end. He believes in you, too."

Kratos nearly missed a step, but disguised the stumble smoothly.

"I don't know why," the convict added. "Even if you are his father."

"…He always was soft-hearted."

The blue-haired man looked as though he might say more, but Kratos stopped abruptly, and Regal only just caught himself from crashing into the Seraph's back. The stairs had ended, leaving the two men standing in a small rectangle of level space. Kratos activated another panel, and the front wall opened just as the previous door had. They stepped out into the murk of the Hall, next to a supply vendor.

In the area to the left, there were two warp panels, one cracked, one still intact and operational. The Seraph teleported first, in a pillar of shimmering lavender, blinding to the eyes after the dimness of the stairwell. Regal followed quickly behind.

- - -

Sheena Fujibayashi leaned crouched up against the root-ridden wall of the colossal pit she'd managed to land herself in. Luckily, she'd only fallen fifteen or twenty feet, before smacking onto a tiny shelf of protruding rock. She wasn't hurt too badly, thanks to her exsphere, but injury on top of fatigue from replicating the Mana Cannon effect – with her own mana, at that – made the task of climbing the wall, ordinarily effortless for one such as she, an impossible feat.

Sighing, she fished Corrine's bell out from where she kept it tucked in the front of her sash. "I guess it's just you and me, now," she murmured, polishing the bell with her thumb. "You and stubborn old Sheena."

She glanced over the edge of the narrow shelf, gulping at the seemingly bottomless hole. Forcing her eyes up, she traced the edge of the pit, and then the series of columns supporting the winding ramp they had descended. It really was a long way up.

"Well, Corrine, do you think they've managed to rescue her yet?" She smiled sadly at the bell. "Colette's not too proud to admit needing help, is she? Not like me… But then, with you, I never had to ask. Somehow, you always knew. I…miss you, Corrine. Ugh, damn it!"

The cry bounced off the stone, echoing faintly. "Why couldn't I save you, Corrine? Why do the ones I love always…"

She trailed off, shutting her eyes tightly to stop the tears, but all she could see was his face. _His_ face. "Zelos…"

She looked up again, just as a light flashed twice at the top of the ramp. "Uh-oh," she muttered.

Tucking the bell away safely, she gripped a handful of roots a foot or so above her head and struggled to pull herself up. The moment she put pressure on her right leg, it crumpled limply, searing with pain. Gasping, she fell back down, causing a slight tremor in her precarious perch. Resigned, she leaned her head against the rough surface of the stone. Enemy or not, she was stuck.

Watching the ramp intently, she waited for the new arrivals to come into view. She drew in a sharp breath at the sight of Kratos. Her thoughts raced. What was he doing here? Was he going to try to stop Lloyd and the others? Would he really kill his own…?

Uncertainty transformed into outright confusion when she saw his companion. "…Regal?" Unless he suddenly had an identical, evil twin… She laughed with relief. "Regal!"

The blue-haired man glanced over the edge of the ramp, eyes searching. "Sheena?" He spotted her, finally. "Are you unharmed?"

"I'm fine, don't worry about me," she found herself saying. _Stupid Sheena, ask him to help you!_ "Go on! You can still catch up to the others!"

"Sheena," Regal began, but the summoner cut him off.

"Look, I can't climb up, and you can't climb down, so just go, okay? I'll be fine, really…"

"We can't–" He gasped, suddenly.

Kratos was plummeting down between the columns, a blur of red and purple. Streaks of azure and cyan flared out behind him, and, wings beating vigorously, he came to a stop in midair, in front of a wide-eyed Sheena.

"What are you…?" the ninja mumbled, awestruck, as a green glow enveloped the Seraph.

Gesturing almost negligently, he murmured "First Aid."

It was as though the fatigue and the aching pain in Sheena's leg simply melted away. "Uh, thanks. I guess." She stood up carefully, using roots as handholds to steady herself. "Why are you–"

Another tremor struck, this one shaking the entire room. A section of ramp, opposite of were Regal stood, came loose, and the large stone tumbled into the pit, smashing loudly in the darkness a few seconds later.

Kratos grimaced, wings still flapping steadily. "Another trap has been activated. Hurry, Summoner, we must…"

His quiet words were drowned out as the shaking resumed, violently and persistently. Deafening cracks boomed, as the columns began to topple, tearing the ramp down with them. As though time slowed down, Sheena watched with sickly fascination as an irregular chunk of rock descended directly towards her. Suddenly, strong arms enveloped her, and there was a shout of 'Guardian!' Through the thin, iridescent barrier, she saw the little ledge crumble away, and then they were falling into darkness, the earthquake swallowing Regal's screams.

- - -

A/N: Yeah, this one was definitely a pain. But I hope you liked it anyway! Depending on how quickly I adjust to school, and how distracted with various other things I become, Chapter 4 should come around in a week or two. Sooner, if I can manage. Until then...review!


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